Antwerp | The Guardianhttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/antwerp
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Hop over to Antwerp | @guardianlettershttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/feb/04/hop-over-to-antwerp
<p>Your determination to ignore beer even extends to travel and holiday offers. In the Review (1 February) a travel offer to visit Lille and Antwerp includes &quot;dinner with wine&quot; in Antwerp. In case you haven't heard, Antwerp is in Belgium, arguably the greatest brewing nation on the planet, with a vast portfolio of beers – many of which can be enjoyed in Antwerp's bars and restaurants. Just a few metres from the central station, <a href="http://biercentral.be/home/" title="">Bier Central</a> is a spacious restaurant that stocks 300 Belgian beers and matches them with excellent food. The cafe De Pelgrim is attached to the city's major brewery, <a href="http://www.dekoninck.be" title="">De Koninck</a>, and also matches beer with food, including a range of Belgian cheeses. To recommend &quot;wine with dinner&quot; in Antwerp insults the locals. When the Guardian announced a Masterclass on how to become a micro-brewer, the event was sold out within days. Pardon the pun, but there's a thirst for beer knowledge among your readers and it's time you reflected this in your pages.<br /><strong>Roger Protz</strong><br /><em>St Albans, Hertfordshire</em></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/feb/04/hop-over-to-antwerp">Continue reading...</a>BeerFood & drinkAntwerpBelgiumTue, 04 Feb 2014 20:59:01 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/feb/04/hop-over-to-antwerpGuardian Staff2014-02-04T20:59:01ZAcross the Atlantic with the Red Star Line – in pictureshttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/gallery/2013/sep/30/atlantic-red-star-line-in-pictures
Albert Einstein and Irving Berlin were among the 2.5 million passengers, mostly migrants, who took the Red Star Line's ocean liners from Belgium to America between 1873 and 1934. Scroll through the gallery to view some of the images on display at the <a href="http://www.redstarline.org/">Red Star Line Museum</a>, which opened in Antwerp on 28 September <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/gallery/2013/sep/30/atlantic-red-star-line-in-pictures">Continue reading...</a>AntwerpCultural tripsCruisesTravelMuseumsCultureNew YorkAlbert EinsteinScienceBelgiumPhotographyArt and designArtHeritageMon, 30 Sep 2013 10:30:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/gallery/2013/sep/30/atlantic-red-star-line-in-picturesRed Star Line MuseumRed Star Line Poster, circa 1899 Photograph: Red Star Line MuseumLeo Cendrowicz2013-09-30T10:30:00ZNew York's Grand Central – and nine other beautiful train stations | Jason Faragohttp://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2013/jul/26/grand-central-beautiful-train-stations-world
The notoriously ugly Penn station has a chance to be reborn, but here are 10 termini which need no beautification at all<br /><br />• <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2013/jul/25/new-york-penn-station-ugly-train-world">Penn station – and other ugly train stations</a><p>This week it was announced that relief may finally come to long-suffering New York rail commuters, with the news that the lease for Madison Square Garden, which since 1968 has crushed Pennsylvania Station underfoot, has been renewed only for 10 years. The city council now has the chance to right the calamitous wrong that was perpetrated by the destruction of the old Penn Station, by coming up with plans to replace the Garden with a new structure.&nbsp;</p><p>Ou<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2013/jul/25/new-york-penn-station-ugly-train-world">r earlier post on the ugliness of New Penn, </a>and other stations around the world, brought calls for a more positive outlook on railway stations. Here, then, is a celebration of 10 of the world's finest.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2013/jul/26/grand-central-beautiful-train-stations-world">Continue reading...</a>ArchitectureWorld newsRail transportRail travelUS newsNew YorkChicagoNewcastleMadridAntwerpMumbaiMelbourneSwitzerlandIstanbulMilanCitiesFri, 26 Jul 2013 17:53:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2013/jul/26/grand-central-beautiful-train-stations-worldPhotograph: Bruce Leighty/Getty ImagesWaiting room and interior of Union Station, Chicago, Illinois. Photograph: Bruce Leighty/Getty ImagesPhotograph: Bruce Leighty/Getty ImagesWaiting room and interior of Union Station, Chicago, Illinois. Photograph: Bruce Leighty/Getty ImagesPhotograph: Emilio J. Rodríguez-Posada/flickrThe interior of Atocha station in Madrid. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/emijrp/9092933746/">Photograph: Emilio J. Rodríguez-Posada/flickr</a>Photograph: Emilio J. Rodríguez-Posada/flickrThe interior of Atocha station in Madrid. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/emijrp/9092933746/">Photograph: Emilio J. Rodríguez-Posada/flickr</a>Photograph: Popperfoto/Popperfoto/Getty ImagesThe magnificent Victoria Railway Station, Bombay is now known as the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mumbai. Photograph: Popperfoto/Getty ImagesPhotograph: Kylie Mclaughlin/Getty Images/Lonely Planet ImageSouthern Cross Station on Spencer Street, Melbourne Photograph: Kylie Mclaughlin/Getty Images/Lonely Planet ImagePhotograph: Kylie Mclaughlin/Getty Images/Lonely Planet ImageSouthern Cross Station on Spencer Street, Melbourne Photograph: Kylie Mclaughlin/Getty Images/Lonely Planet ImagePhotograph: MARKUS BSTIELER/MARKUS BSTIELER/VIEWOne of the Hungerburgbahn stations, Innsbruck. Photograph: Markus Bstieler/ViewPhotograph: MARKUS BSTIELER/MARKUS BSTIELER/VIEWOne of the Hungerburgbahn stations, Innsbruck. Photograph: Markus Bstieler/ViewPhotograph: LatitudeStock - Grazyna Bonati/Getty Images/Gallo ImagesNewcastle-upon-Tyne railway station. Photograph: Grazyna Bonati/Getty Images/Gallo ImagesPhotograph: LatitudeStock - Grazyna Bonati/Getty Images/Gallo ImagesNewcastle-upon-Tyne railway station. Photograph: Grazyna Bonati/Getty Images/Gallo ImagesPhotograph: /The exterior of St Pancras station, LondonPhotograph: Izzet Keribar/Getty Images/Lonely Planet ImageThe Haydarpasa Terminal, Istanbul Photograph: Izzet Keribar/Getty Images/Lonely Planet ImagePhotograph: Izzet Keribar/Getty Images/Lonely Planet ImageThe Haydarpasa Terminal, Istanbul Photograph: Izzet Keribar/Getty Images/Lonely Planet ImagePhotograph: Vincenzo Lombardo/Getty ImagesMilan central station. Photograph: Vincenzo Lombardo/Getty ImagesPhotograph: Vincenzo Lombardo/Getty ImagesMilan central station. Photograph: Vincenzo Lombardo/Getty ImagesPhotograph: Don Emmert/AFP/Getty ImagesCommuters make their way through Grand Central Terminal, in New York. Photograph: Don Emmert/AFP/Getty ImagesPhotograph: Don Emmert/AFP/Getty ImagesCommuters make their way through Grand Central Terminal. Photograph: Don Emmert/AFP/Getty ImagesJason Farago2013-07-26T17:53:00ZAntwerp: sartorial cityhttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2013/jun/23/antwerp-fashion-designer-shopping-city
Antwerp's current crop of star designers is part of its rich fashion tradition. Hettie Judah digs deep to find the best shopping in Europe<p>Last summer I started to map the city of Antwerp in threads, tracing its sartorial history among streets and monuments, from the <em>b&eacute;guinage</em> where nuns stitched millstone ruffs to the department stores outfitting passengers for the Red Star Line steamer ships, from the alchemy of the early dye workshops to the ateliers of the contemporary avant-garde. This ancient port city was at one time the richest in northern Europe; much of its wealth derived from dyeing, finishing and trading cloth. Thanks largely to the influence of the <a href="http://www.antwerp-fashion.be/" title="">Fashion Department</a> of its Academy of Fine Arts, 500 years on the Antwerp of today is distinguished by an extraordinary concentration of fashion professionals, including <a href="http://www.driesvannoten.be/" title="">Dries Van Noten</a> and <a href="http://www.ekthongprasert.be/" title="">Ek Thongprasert</a>.</p><p>This year the Fashion Department celebrates its 50th anniversary, and earlier this month the graduation show saw the reunion of the <a href="http://antwerpsix.blogspot.co.uk/">Antwerp Six</a> (who themselves graduated in the early 1980s) to form the jury for the fourth-year students presentations. The city is being dressed in appropriately fashionable anniversary decorations, and events culminate in an exhibition opening in September at the <a href="http://www.momu.be/" title="">Mode Museum</a> (MoMu).</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2013/jun/23/antwerp-fashion-designer-shopping-city">Continue reading...</a>AntwerpFashionShopping tripsLife and styleTravelBelgiumEuropeSat, 22 Jun 2013 23:05:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2013/jun/23/antwerp-fashion-designer-shopping-cityNicolas Maeterlinck/Getty ImagesFashion jury members (from left) Marina Yee, Dirk Bikkembergs, Ann Demeulemeester, Walter Van Beirendonck, Dries Van Noten and Dirk Van Saene at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. Photograph: Nicolas Maeterlinck/Getty ImagesVirginia Mayo/APOn the catwalk with Wim Bruynooghe at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp. Photograph: Virginia Mayo/APCorbisThe clothes show: Grote Markt square at dusk. Photograph: CorbisCorbisThe clothes show: Grote Markt square at dusk. Photograph: CorbisHettie Judah2013-06-22T23:05:00ZdEUS's Tom Barman: 'I was fed up with singing about myself'http://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/jul/04/deus-tom-barman-sounds-europe-belgium
Following our <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/jul/02/sounds-europe-belgian-pop" title="">history of Belgian pop</a> and <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/jul/03/belgian-music-now-sounds-europe">guide to the country's music scene</a>, we talk to Tom Barman of Antwerp's dEUS about his band's noirish new direction and Belgium's cultural divide<p><a href="http://deus.be/" title="">dEUS</a> were formed more than 20 years ago in Antwerp, becoming the first Belgian indie band to sign to a major international label. They garnered international acclaim for their debut album Worst Case Scenario, which welded Tom Waits's bar-room blues to Pavement's off-kilter college rock. Following two more albums for Island, the band took a four-year hiatus before reconvening in 2004. Their latest effort, the impressively noirish Following Sea, follows just eight months after previous album Keep You Close. Apart from violinist/keyboardist Klaas Janzoons, frontman Tom Barman remains the band's only constant member. He still lives and records in Antwerp.</p><p><a href="http://soundcloud.com/deusbe/sets">Mobile users, please click here to listen</a></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/jul/04/deus-tom-barman-sounds-europe-belgium">Continue reading...</a>Pop and rockIndieMusicCultureAntwerpBelgiumWed, 04 Jul 2012 11:41:37 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/jul/04/deus-tom-barman-sounds-europe-belgiumGreetsia Tent/WireImageTom Barman of dEUS performs during the Rockin' Park Festival at Goffertpark in Nijmegen, Netherlands. Photograph: Greetsia Tent/WireImageGreetsia Tent/WireImageTom Barman of dEUS performs during the Rockin' Park Festival at Goffertpark in Nijmegen, Netherlands. Photograph: Greetsia Tent/WireImageSam Richards2012-07-04T11:41:37ZMAS appeal: regenerating Antwerphttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2011/may/28/antwerp-docks-regeneration-museum-belgium
Antwerp's new MAS museum, which has its own Michelin-starred restaurant, is set to transform a downtrodden dockside area into the city's hottest arts district<p>From the air, the Museum aan de Stroom in Antwerp looks like a stack of red Lego bricks. Large, expensive Lego bricks, dropped by some tired giant child and stuck together with what could conceivably be great swathes of Sellotape. The city's newest museum, designed by the Dutch architects Willem Jan Neutelings and Michiel Riedijk opened this month and looks more solid but no less fanciful from the ground. The Sellotape is in fact wide panels of undulating glass separating 10 giant stone containers, stacked one on top of the other and clad in violent red Indian sandstone.</p><p>It's an idiosyncratic design that contrasts with the city's predominant architectural styles – the traditional Flemish ziggurat roofs of the pretty historic centre and the port's brutalist industrial sprawl. But this is exactly the point: <a href="http://www.mas.be/MAS-EN/Publicatiekanalen/Stad/Musea/Musea-MAS/MAS-EN/Startpagina-MAS-EN.html" title="">Museum aan de Stroom</a> (which is known as MAS and translates as Museum by the River) is intended to be a bridge between the city centre and the port.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2011/may/28/antwerp-docks-regeneration-museum-belgium">Continue reading...</a>AntwerpCultural tripsBelgiumTravelEuropeFri, 27 May 2011 23:06:06 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2011/may/28/antwerp-docks-regeneration-museum-belgiumFilip DujardinTalkin' 'bout regeneration … Museum aan de Stroom (Museum by the River), Antwerp. Photograph: Filip DujardinFilip DujardinTalkin' 'bout regeneration … Museum aan de Stroom (Museum by the River), Antwerp. Photograph: Filip DujardinLaura Barnett2011-05-27T23:06:06ZMy travels: Bart van Poll on recruiting Europe's best bloggershttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2011/feb/19/bart-van-poll-spotted-by-locals
The co-founder of Spotted by Locals discovered lots of great places – and the odd drunk – during his Europe-wide search for bloggers. To read some of the Spotters' tips, click <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/series/spotted-online" title="">here</a><p>Being the son of an airline pilot and a stewardess, I was fortunate to travel a lot when I was young. After turning 21, the airline stopped sponsoring my tickets, but I did not stop travelling at every chance I got. Luckily, I infected my girlfriend Sanne with the travel bug&nbsp;too.</p><p>In 2008, Sanne (by then my wife) and I decided to quit our jobs to embark on a new mission in life: convincing people it is so much more fulfilling to experience destinations like a local, instead of going from one tourist highlight to another. We started travel blog network Spotted by Locals. One of the things we were certain of from the start: we wanted to meet all our bloggers in their own city, in their all-time favourite local spot. Of course we wanted to make sure they are really locals who are passionate about their city, but maybe an even more important reason was that it would be our perfect life to travel all around Europe, meet locals and experience real local tips all the time.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2011/feb/19/bart-van-poll-spotted-by-locals">Continue reading...</a>AntwerpBelgiumEuropeTravelLjubljanaSloveniaZagrebCroatiaSat, 19 Feb 2011 00:04:05 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2011/feb/19/bart-van-poll-spotted-by-localsPRTop spot … Bart van Poll with some locals in Prague.PRTop spot … Bart van Poll with some locals in Prague.Bart van Poll2011-02-19T00:04:05ZSpotted online - city tips from localshttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2010/nov/02/spotted-online-city-breaks-europe
The secret to enjoying Paris's city gardens, a retro coffee shop in Stockholm and Antwerp by tram in this month's tips from blog network <a href="http://www.spottedbylocals.com">Spotted by locals</a><p><strong>Spotted by: <a href="http://www.spottedbylocals.com/antwerp/ysabel-jongeneelen/">Ysabel Jongeneelen</a></strong></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2010/nov/02/spotted-online-city-breaks-europe">Continue reading...</a>City breaksTravelEuropeShort breaksAntwerpStockholmMilanWarsawParisTue, 02 Nov 2010 11:53:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2010/nov/02/spotted-online-city-breaks-europeSuzanna SchwarzVarland retro cafe, Stockholm Photograph: Suzanna SchwarzSpotted by locals2010-11-02T11:53:00ZEurope's best city apartmentshttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2010/apr/11/europe-apartments-best-travel-accommodation
From a romantic flat in Valletta to a trendy loft in Berlin, here are 10 of the best homes from home<p>Boutique hotels are all very well, but if you really want to get under the skin of a city nothing beats having your own pad for the weekend. Renting an apartment gives you more space and your own kitchen, and often means you're based in a far more interesting part of town than where the tourist hotels are. Best of all, there's none of that embarrassing waking up the night porter when you roll in at dawn.</p><p>We've picked a cross section, with some for romantic couples, others for families or groups of friends; some that are a bargain and others that are seriously expensive – there's a huge, and growing, choice on the market.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2010/apr/11/europe-apartments-best-travel-accommodation">Continue reading...</a>City breaksShort breaksBerlinReykjavikAmsterdamAntwerpMaltaLondonFlorenceEdinburghBarcelonaParisEuropeTravelSat, 10 Apr 2010 23:10:03 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2010/apr/11/europe-apartments-best-travel-accommodationPRBoulevard Leopold apartment in Antwerp.PRBoulevard Leopold apartment in Antwerp.Nicola Iseard2010-04-10T23:10:03ZNew Year 2009: is it rave or romance?http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/dec/13/new-year-rave-romance
Whether you're a couple looking for romance or a night owl in search of a party, we have come up with the potted guide to the New Year's Eve of your dreams<p><em>All prices are based on a three-night trip departing on 30 December. </em></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/dec/13/new-year-rave-romance">Continue reading...</a>Christmas and New YearCity breaksMoscowAntwerpMadridAmsterdamBerlinParisVeniceBudapestLisbonGhentWeekend breaksShort breaksTravelSun, 13 Dec 2009 00:05:29 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/dec/13/new-year-rave-romanceCedric Vanaken/Cedric VanakenA New Year rave in Antwerp. Photograph: Cedric VanakenCedric Vanaken/Cedric VanakenA New Year rave in Antwerp. Photograph: Cedric VanakenNicola Iseard, Benji Lanyado and Annabelle Thorpe2009-12-13T00:05:29ZSpotted online - city tips from localshttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/oct/07/city-breaks-online-local-guide
From a warm winter hideaway in Paris to a cheese-lovers' haven in Amsterdam, we bring you the latest instalment of insider tips from blog network Spotted by Locals <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/oct/07/city-breaks-online-local-guide">Continue reading...</a>City breaksTravel websitesShort breaksFood and drinkAmsterdamAntwerpParisCopenhagenTravelZagrebWed, 07 Oct 2009 12:18:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/oct/07/city-breaks-online-local-guideGuardian Staff2009-10-07T12:18:00ZEurope's top city breaks by railhttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/sep/20/city-breaks-rail
Whether you fancy shopping, champagne or chateaux, some of Europe's finest towns are now within easy reach by train<p><strong>Journey time: 5hrs 5mins (4hrs 6min from 13 December)</strong><br /><strong>Return from St Pancras: from &pound;89</strong></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/sep/20/city-breaks-rail">Continue reading...</a>Rail travelCity breaksLilleBrugesAmsterdamAvignonAntwerpCologneLyonTravelShort breaksWeekend breaksEuropeFranceNetherlandsBelgiumGreen travelSwitzerlandGermanySat, 19 Sep 2009 23:06:11 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/sep/20/city-breaks-railGary Yeowell/GettyNext stop ... cafe society in Place du Général de Gaulle in Lille. Photograph: Gary Yeowell/GettyGary Yeowell/GettyCafe society in Place du Général de Gaulle in Lille. Photograph: Gary Yeowell/GettyAnnabelle Thorpe2009-09-19T23:06:11ZSpotted online: insider tips from Spotted by Locals European city blog networkhttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/may/06/barcelona-vienna-zagreb-blog-tips
From Antwerp to Zagreb, we bring you the latest instalment of insider tips from blog network <a href="http://www.spottedbylocals.com/">Spotted by Locals</a> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/may/06/barcelona-vienna-zagreb-blog-tips">Continue reading...</a>BarcelonaViennaStockholmAntwerpZagrebShopping tripsFood and drinkTravelCataloniaWed, 06 May 2009 14:22:02 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/may/06/barcelona-vienna-zagreb-blog-tipsNiko Caignie/Public DomainSpotted in Antwerp ... Il Gallo Nero. Photograph: Niko CaignieNiko Caignie/Public DomainIl Gallo Nero, Antwerp Photograph: Niko Caignie/Public Domainspottedbylocals.com2009-05-06T14:22:02ZReaders' top 10 vintage shopshttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/apr/17/best-vintage-shopping-clothes
Here are 10 of the best reader suggestions for picking up a vintage bargain, from cinema posters to George Michael earrings<p>For lovers of vintage film posters and stills going back to the early days of cinema, Cinedoc is the place to head. Drawers of amazing French posters vie for attention with scene stills and photographs of the stars. The shop is crammed from floor to ceiling - a treasure trove. Cinedoc is in the Passage Jouffroy, a wonderful almost secret network of covered glazed shopping arcades dating from the 19th century. Each of the 30 passages has its own architectural style - some, like the Galerie Vero-Dodat, are very grand with black marble columns and painted shopfronts. Others, such as the Passage des Panoramas, are a little run down but contain delightful bric-a-brac shops and stamp dealers. The Passages of Paris are hidden gems well worth discovering away from the traffic clogged boulevards.<br />Posted by <strong>JohnG3502</strong></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/apr/17/best-vintage-shopping-clothes">Continue reading...</a>Shopping tripsTravelParisNew YorkStockholmAmsterdamLondonAntwerpBerlinCardiffLos AngelesCopenhagenShoppingLife and styleCaliforniaFri, 17 Apr 2009 09:31:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/apr/17/best-vintage-shopping-clothesPRBeyond Retro vintage clothing shop, Stockholm, SwedenPRGuardian Staff2009-04-17T09:31:00ZSpotted online: city blog guides by locals in the knowhttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/apr/08/spotted-online-city-breaks-europe
Each month we bring you the pick of local tips from <a href="http://www.spottedbylocals.com/">Spotted by Locals'</a> network of European city bloggers<p>A couple of weeks ago, our blogs expert, Benji Lanyado, <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2009/mar/18/local-city-guides-travel-websites">sang the praises of Spotted by Locals</a> - a network of <a href="http://www.spottedbylocals.com/">European city blogs </a>written by over 80 local bloggers. Since then they've won the best group authored blog in Lonely Planet's awards and have agreed to keep us in the loop with a monthly update of their favourite tips. Here's the first instalment</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/apr/08/spotted-online-city-breaks-europe">Continue reading...</a>City breaksEuropeTravel websitesShort breaksAntwerpBerlinMadridRomePragueTravelTue, 07 Apr 2009 23:01:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/apr/08/spotted-online-city-breaks-europeNiko CaignieStieg Litz 19 hidden gallery, Antwerp Photograph: Niko Caigniespottedbylocals.com2009-04-07T23:01:00ZTop 10 places to stay in Antwerphttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2008/dec/22/antwerp-belgium-top-10-hotels
Shopping is an obligatory pursuit in the city that spawned the Antwerp Six ... and here's some of the best places to drop, from 19th-century mansions to cosy boltholes for frazzled fashionistas<p><a href="http://www.boulevard-leopold.be">Boulevard Leopold</a> is a B&amp;B in a truly grand style: the main apartment comes with a sitting room larger than most London flats and a spare bedroom for extra guests. This 19th-century mansion in Antwerp's traditional Jewish quarter has been renovated with a light but idiosyncratic touch - owners Vincent and Bert wanted it to feel like the home of a beloved grandparent. Above the original inlayed flooring, the vintage sideboards groan with religious statuary, art books and minor taxidermy. While some of the style has been influenced by Vincent's work with renowned fashion designers such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Demeulemeester">Ann Demeulemeester</a>, the kitchen is Bart's domain - a chef by training, he bakes the bread fresh every day for breakfast.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2008/dec/22/antwerp-belgium-top-10-hotels">Continue reading...</a>AntwerpBelgiumHotelsTop 10sTravelShort breaksCity breaksMon, 22 Dec 2008 11:04:15 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2008/dec/22/antwerp-belgium-top-10-hotelsPRShop and linger ... M0851 is a 'classic designer B&amp;B'PRHettie Judah2008-12-22T11:04:15ZBag a fashion bargain in Antwerp's January courture saleshttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2008/dec/06/shopping-antwerp-belgium-sales
Postponed your shopping until the January sales? Antwerp's stores knock up to 70% off designer labels, and the B&amp;Bs are suitably stylish<p>Stand on a particular crossroads near the top of Antwerp's Nationalestraat and you will, in one 360-degree sweep, take in the gilt-edged riches of Dries Van Noten's Modepaleis store, the sharp whiff of solvent from a gas-mask-wearing spray-can artist decorating the streetwear supermarket Fish n'Chips, a distant stripe of the vast Yohji Yamamoto shop, the discreet lines of Swedish high-street stylist Filippa K and flashes of windows showing everything from locally made jewellery to Paul Smith suits.</p><p>What distinguishes Antwerp as a shopping destination is the sheer variety of stuff on offer in its compact city centre. That, and the dramatic seasonal sales. Because Belgian regulations forbid promotional discounts outside January and July, the pressure is on stores to clear un-sold stock as fast as they can. </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2008/dec/06/shopping-antwerp-belgium-sales">Continue reading...</a>Shopping tripsAntwerpTravelBelgiumWeekend breaksShort breaksHotelsShoppingLife and styleCity breaksSat, 06 Dec 2008 00:01:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2008/dec/06/shopping-antwerp-belgium-salesPRRich pickings ... Nordic-influenced womenswear at Garde-robe NationalePRHettie Judah2008-12-06T00:01:00ZCity guide: Unsung cities of the worldhttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2008/nov/08/top-100-city-tips-unsung
<p><strong>by Dixe Wills </strong></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2008/nov/08/top-100-city-tips-unsung">Continue reading...</a>Top 100 city tipsChileJapanHelsinkiFinlandBulgariaBucharestRomaniaSerbiaAntwerpKazakhstanTravelSofiaSat, 08 Nov 2008 00:01:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2008/nov/08/top-100-city-tips-unsungPaul C Pet/Zefa/CorbisUtrecht ... a Dutch city largely undiscovered by tourists. Photograph: Paul C Pet/Zefa/CorbisPaul C Pet/Zefa/CorbisUtrecht, The Netherlands. Photograph: Paul C Pet/Zefa/CorbisGuardian Staff2008-11-08T00:01:00ZInstant weekend ... Antwerphttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2008/nov/02/instant-weekend-antwerp-belgium
<p>A survey of travel writers recently named Antwerp one of the top 10 must-visit destinations for 2009 - and with good reason. It is a focal point of Europe's art and fashion scene, with bars, restaurants and nightlife to match. The big deal in November is the Maison Martin Margiela exhibition at <strong>MoMu</strong> (<a href="http://www.momu.be">momu.be</a>), the city's first-rate fashion museum. Margiela's work consists of a special blend of classic tailoring and conceptual thinking and this unique retrospective delves into the various themes that underpin his high-octane clothes. Also on show in November is 'Heads on Shoulders', featuring two centuries (1600-1800) of Dutch and Belgian portrait busts, the realistic and the romantic side by side - and all in startling Baroque detail. The exhibition is at the <strong>Museum voor Schone Kunsten</strong>, or KMSKA (<a href="http://www.kmska.be">kmska.be</a>) for short, a five-minute tram ride south of the centre.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2008/nov/02/instant-weekend-antwerp-belgium">Continue reading...</a>AntwerpBelgiumShort breaksWeekend breaksHotelsRestaurantsFood and drinkCultural tripsTravelCity breaksSun, 02 Nov 2008 00:01:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2008/nov/02/instant-weekend-antwerp-belgiumJon Hicks/CorbisHit the streets ... see the Brabo Fountain in Grote Markt. Photograph: Jon Hicks/CorbisJon Hicks/CorbisThe Brabo Fountain in Grote Markt in Antwerp, Belgium. Photograph: Jon HicksPhil Lee2008-11-02T00:01:00ZTop 10 city-break apartmentshttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2008/apr/21/hotels.budget
More independence, more living space, better value. <strong>Benji Lanyado</strong> on why apartments beat hotel rooms<p>Apartments are always going to beat hotel rooms when it comes to space, but people often assume that it requires a mass mobilisation to get your money's worth. Not so. More and more apartments are catering for couples and small families on city breaks, usually working out cheaper than a hotel, but with kitchens, sitting rooms, prime locations and considerably more independence chucked in for good measure. And, of course, other than staying in someone's spare room, renting an apartment is as close as you'll get to living like the locals. Here are 10 apartments in great locations, ideal for a city break from the UK.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2008/apr/21/hotels.budget">Continue reading...</a>HotelsBudget travelShort breaksTravelKrakowMaltaSan SebastiánBerlinReykjavikNew YorkParisBarcelonaScotlandAntwerpTop 10sCity breaksCataloniaTue, 22 Apr 2008 09:19:44 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2008/apr/21/hotels.budgetnull/Brian GrechMaison La Vallette ... Valletta's traditional white stone provides a perfect canvas. Photograph: Brian Grechnull/Brian GrechBenji Lanyado2008-04-22T09:19:44Z